The grass and trees near them rustled ominously. Elon caught sight of Derek's stance—he was ready to confront any potential threat.
"Heh, I like that reaction of yours, but there's no need to worry. It's Thomas, he is a peaceful guy,"
Elon murmured, taking a step toward the grass to prove her statement. A massive wolf leaped over her, its fur a shimmering silver. With sparklingy yellow eyes that were locking into hers. Before Elon could speak, Derek's kick sent the wolf flying.
'What a strong man?'
Elon jaw left hanging out for awhile.
"He tried to kill you. Don't look at me like I did something wrong,"
Derek said, noticing Elon's angry, warning glare.
"Oh come on, why did you do that? It's Thomas! Have you gone mad? He's on my side..."
Before Elon could finish, her eyes caught the flash of fangs and claws—the wolf had bitten Derek's shoulder. In response, Derek performed a powerful flip, throwing the beast off. The fight was so intense Elon thought one of them might kill the other.
"Damn it! Can everyone just stop fighting for a moment?"
Elon shouted, glaring first at Thomas, then quickly at Derek. They're insane, she thought. Taking a deep breath, she said:
"Derek, stop. You can go home. I don't need your help."
She said this as she approached Thomas.'Why didn't that damn wolf attack her or even harm her? Is he really a werewolf?'
Just trying to process what was happening made her want to laugh—or lose her mind. The wolf growled at him. *Who's afraid of a mere wolf?* Derek wasn't ready to leave. He kept his eyes fixed on Thomas.
"Sir Derek, your personal aide is looking for you. He says the king is requesting your presence."
His driver's voice echoed through the forest, drawing closer. Derek clenched his fists, watching Elon as she hugged the wolf, inspecting his body for injuries.
'Hmph. What about the wound caused by her little pet—or Thomas, or whatever that creature is supposed to be?'
As Derek turned to speak to his driver—who was shaking from head to toe—he found that Elon had vanished without a trace.
"Sir, you're bleeding! My God, what happened? Where's the young lady who was with you?"
The sight of the blood staining Derek's clothes was heartbreaking. If he weren't so strong, he wouldn't still be standing.
"If you're really the leader of the Death Skulls Gang, I seriously want to meet you again, Miss Elon."
Derek whispered as he walked away with his driver.
"And the young lady?" the driver asked.
Derek raised an eyebrow, a broad smile forming on his face.
"Don't worry about her. She'll manage just fine."
He couldn't help thinking how strange it was that the master had summoned him so soon. Those moments he'd just had might have changed his beliefs about myths.
"I'd only ever heard the term 'werewolf' back when I was in the Dark Continent—and even then, I didn't believe it. But what if she really trained that wolf? Damn it, that's impossible. It's not like it's a dog you can tame."
He muttered to himself, staring out at the forest that seemed to stretch further and further away as the carriage sped up. His aide was scared he might get hurt—this was Derek, the right-hand man and one of the top commanders of the Crystal Kingdom's army.
—
Elsewhere in the forest, Elon walked ahead, saying,
"Thomas, how many times do I have to tell you to wait for my signal and not attack any man I bring with me?"
She grumbled, heading down a path she didn't recognize. She rubbed her forehead gently, then looked at the tangled trees, hearing his footsteps echo her own.
"He had malicious intent toward you. And you're the one who said three shots mean imminent danger."
Thomas had returned to his human form. Elon stopped, staring into his green eyes, which were glowing with anger.
"You'll heal from your wounds now that you're back in human form. But what about him?"
She asked, and Thomas bowed his head in apology.
"I overreacted. Please don't be mad," he said sincerely.
She watched the skull tattoos that adorned his chest. Elon stepped closer—nothing stood between them now.
"I want to hold an emergency meeting with the gang as soon as possible. There's something I need to discuss."
She patted his head.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop bowing to me like that? Keep your head up. You're with me, got it?"
Elon said, comfort in her eyes as she looked at the now-calmer Thomas.
He took a deep breath.
"Won't he talk and tell everyone what we are, my lady?"
Elon smiled, proud and defiant.
"We've worked in the shadows for so long. Haven't you ever wondered how the outside world would react when our work finally comes to light? It's fine if he tells."
She kept walking a few steps ahead until Thomas caught up.
"Whatever you decide, I'm with you,"
he said.
Elon raised her hands and spun around,
"Tell me, you're usually grumpy, moody, and hate night visits. What changed?"
She pointed at him as if casting a spell.
He smiled.
"I won't say it—but I'll show you. Just five minutes of your time, my lady."
He said before lifting her into his arms.
"Don't roll your eyes,"
he whispered, turning her face away from his.
"I'm faster than you at running. Besides, you want to go home, don't you? To check on your father?"
Elon tapped his chest gently,
"It's not fair to use your powers on me."
He grinned, already sprinting.
"You're distracted today—unlike you. Not my fault your thoughts slipped right into my ears,"
he said with a laugh.
The wind tangled her hair, and her mind kept returning to the one thing dominating her thoughts:
"I really want to destroy the ruler of the Dark Continent's kingdom—no matter what it costs."
That was the only idea she could think about since her father lost his throne and kingdom to him.
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